The (Twice Daily) Saga of Brushing Teeth

With little kids, two minutes a day, twice a day can easily turn into a twenty minute ordeal every morning and night.

Brushing teeth can be a source of tension — your toddler wants to control the toothbrush, but he’s missing all his back teeth; he inadvertently squirts three inches worth of toothpaste into the sink; he’s trying to swallow the toothpaste instead of spitting it out — all parents have been, or eventually will be, in this position.

Getting your kids to brush their teeth properly can, at times, be frustrating in the extreme. But that doesn’t have to be the norm. Try taking each brushing opportunity to teach your child about oral hygiene. You’ll fit in another few minutes of valuable parent-child interaction, and your kid will grow up with fewer cavities and better oral hygiene habits.

I mostly spend my time talking to Olivia about how to brush her teeth properly. It’s a part of our fifteen minute post-bath and pre-bedtime stories routine that includes getting dressed in pajamas, brushing her hair, and finally, brushing teeth. Each of these tiny activities are great learning and bonding opportunities.

I generally talk to her about each of the activities (“Okay, now let’s put on your pants…” and “Make sure you’re brushing the backs”). As she’s gotten older, I’ve taken more of a backseat role and let her take responsibility for each of the steps in the routine, but it’s still a process I enjoy and know that I’ll miss someday.

In my brother Jon’s house, brushing teeth can be a fight. His daughters Lily and Isabella both hate it and want to do it themselves, so he usually lets them do a little brushing and then, to actually get their teeth clean, he comes in at the end to do it himself.

Remember, both cases are normal — most kids are not thrilled with the idea of brushing their teeth. Just keep at it, try to stay positive, and eventually your toddlers will grow up with good brushing habits!

It’s also a good idea to get your child comfortable with going to the dentist. To make him more comfortable with the idea of visiting the dentist, bring him along to one of your appointments so he can see his mom or dad get a cleaning.

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommend that you take your baby to the dentist by his first birthday, or within six months of his first tooth — whichever comes first. And you can start “brushing” your baby’s teeth as soon as some signs of teeth appear.

To get your baby accustomed to regular mouth cleaning, you can start even earlier by wiping his gums with a gauze pad. My dentist recommends children start regular visits at around age three and brushing as soon as their teeth come in — it’s worked out just fine for us.

As for flossing, that’s a whole different battle — good luck getting a piece of floss between the teeth of a squirmy toddler! But if you can, it’s not a bad idea to help your kids floss once their teeth start coming together. Have fun!

This piece was originally posted at VersaMe.com. VersaMe created the Starling the world’s first wearable engagement tracker that helps encourage and reinforce positive parenting behaviors.